UTSA hosts symposium on collecting Chicano art

(Oct. 10, 2008)--UTSA and Gallista Gallery will co-sponsor "Arte Chicano: A Discussion on Collecting Chicano Art" from 6 to 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 10 at the Gallista Gallery, 1913 S. Flores St. The symposium will feature Gary Keller, director of the Hispanic Research Center at Arizona State University, and UTSA President Ricardo Romo, both of whom collect Chicano art and also established university collections.

>> Free and open to the public, a reception is 5-6 p.m., followed by the presentations. The event was organized by Joe Lopez, Gallista Gallery owner, and Arturo Almeida, UTSA Art Collection curator.

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"This is a unique opportunity to hear from two experienced collectors of Chicano art at one event," said Almeida. "Much credit goes to Joe Lopez, who approached Dr. Romo about conducting the symposium."

Gary Keller, an Arizona State University Regents' Professor, received his Ph.D. in Hispanic literature and linguistics from Columbia University. He founded in 1973 and still edits The Bilingual Review/La Revista Bilingüe, acclaimed as a "major resource for academics or for teachers concerned with English-Spanish bilingualism in the United States."

He has been the most successful publisher, editor and scholar to date in his effort to gain national attention for U.S. Hispanic literature. He is co-author of the newly released "The Cisco Kid: American Hero, Hispanic Roots." He wrote "Contemporary Chicana and Chicano Art," "Chicano Art for Our Millenium" and "Triumph of Our Communities." Keller will be available to sign books, which also will be for sale.

A native of San Antonio's West Side, Ricardo Romo graduated from Fox Tech High School and attended the University of Texas at Austin on a track scholarship. Romo was the first Texan to run the mile in less than four minutes. He earned a B.S. degree in education at UT Austin, a master's degree in history from Loyola Marymount University and a Ph.D. in history from UCLA. A nationally respected urban historian, Romo is the author of "East Los Angeles: History of a Barrio," now in its ninth printing.

At UT Austin, Romo taught history and served as vice provost for undergraduate education. In 1999, he was named UTSA president. He and his wife, Harriett Romo, UTSA professor of sociology and director of the Mexico Center, have collected the work of more than 100 Hispanic artists.